Granny Judy, the Lego legend

PETER FELDMAN

Lego as therapy for her acute arthritis, Judy has spent decades creating a wonderland of pleasure with hundreds of items, big and small, housed in transparent shelves in various rooms in her palatial home. She works from the Lego manuals.

The sights that greet visitors to her home are astounding as Judy’s displays serve as a treasure trove of Lego ingenuity. They get to admire famous buildings such as Buckingham Palace, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Tower Bridge, The White House, The Pentagon, The Lincoln Memorial, The Taj Mahal and even the supermarket frequented by that popular TV family, The Simpsons.

There is an orange Porsche replica of the car that Judy’s husband, Martin, drives, a ship from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, and various war machines from the popular Star Wars franchise – one fascinating item being the Lambda Class 4A Shuttle. Disneyland’s Magic Castle is there in all its glory, complete with miniature Disney characters.

Judy has three children and 12 grandchildren. One grandchild, 18-year-old Adam, has also succumbed to the magic of Lego and spends hours with his granny working on them. He has the uncanny ability to create new Lego models using his imagination.

Says Judy: “Working together on Lego projects with someone you love is excellent for bonding, be it fathers and sons, grandfathers and grandchildren, and even grandmothers like me who are happy to be part of this special club.”

Judy is a frequent visitor to Lilliputs, the Rosebank toy shop where she acquires the various items to be constructed. Lilliputs owner Patrick de Witt told me she is a popular visitor to the store, and it is said that Lego in Denmark, where the toys are made, has recognised her talent and dedication to this art form.

Judy tells me, with a wry smile, that every time she starts talking, her husband buys her a new Lego set to keep her quiet.

Special days are set aside when nursery schools are allowed into the rooms housing her impressive collection, where the children can view the exhibits, try their hand at making their own, and then have a party. “We often take out the Lego trains. We set it up and the children have fun.”

Judy says that when she is assembling an architect’s building, such as the Guggenheim Museum, she can fully appreciate the thinking that goes into planning such a structure. “Lego also serves as a teaching tool and one can learn about many things. When you assemble a car, the engine parts are so life-like that you can see how it all fits together.”

Her collection of motor vehicles is impressive too, and includes a Volksie van, a Jeep, motorbikes, and luxury sports and racing cars. One standout item is the Yellow Submarine of the Beatles fame, and there are miniature images of the Fab Four in front of the exhibit. Batman also has a section to himself.

“My fingers are my tools and working with Lego is amazing for my arthritis. The smaller items are the most difficult to manipulate. I think more people, especially the elderly, are now taking to the Lego craze. It’s great therapy.”

Some items, such as the Death Star (from Star Wars) took her a week to complete, but it is truly a work of art.

When not engaged in this passion, her other passion is doing charity work, and nothing pleases her more than paying back to the community.

“I am so blessed,” she adds.